Oh boy. Last time I Reviewed Bayonetta I said I thought it was mediocre. Good combat and shit story. I'm going to be frank the second game is exactly that but I'll go into more detail and why I'm still not entirely sure how to feel about this game.
Also I'm going all in on SPOILERS so you have been warned.
Let me clear one thing up though I do think I was a touch too hard on the first game. While I still do think the story for the most part made no sense namely that stupid time travel child version of herself but to be fair she was one of the few characters I liked in that game with Bayonetta herself being the only other one I really liked. But in honesty It's a great game it's fun and it's ridiculous and that's what they wanted to achieve so I should have given it more of a positive slide to it. Still the combat was nothing THAT special and yeah the story sucked hard so I mostly stand by what I said.
Now I'm going to say this now. That sticker in the top right corner that says "comes with bayonetta one" Helps a lot for this game. Cause even though it's just a port, Effort is still effort and less then 35 dollars for bayonetta 1 or 2 IS a good deal as well.
Now let's actually get down to business here. How is the story and the character? Well the exact same really. Bayonetta and now her father balder are the only two character who are really decent. with the new character Loki and Enzo being Godawful and his part in the plot being so predictable it still hurts me from how far away you see it coming, and Luka and Jeanne breaking even and being decent. The plot itself involves bayonetta rescuing Jeanne's soul from hell after one of her summons goes awol. I will admit the beginning is pretty good sans enzo being absolutely unbearable.
She goes to the mountain Fimbulventr (It's Norse I'm sure) meets a kid with mysterious powers over memory and cards named Loki. He tries to be Luka but fails miserably kind of like Luka trying to be cool but most of the time fails (though still not terrible just not very interesting and does have a few moments) He is intolerably annoying and I'm going to be frank when you meet a child with mysterious powers and then learn of a god named Aesir who disappeared; What do you think is going to happen? If you said the kid is actually Aesir NO FUCKING SHIT! Hell I knew even before since I know the word Aesir is from Norse Mythology as is Loki. Now granted they do introduce a second half of Aesir named Loptr who ends up being the one who killed bayonetta's mother and the one who possessed Balder in the first game. I will say that Balder being possessed here and sent back in time is kind of neat and makes the two games form a kind of loop in time which is honestly one of the neater aspects of the game that it's both a sequel and a prequel at the same time.
Now while the gameplay is one of the better aspects being basically the same as the first game with a few minor changes as well as some powers available from the start one problem I have is the bosses. The bosses in the first game hunt your ass down for a few chapters before you ever fight them which is something I like in this game they really don't and because of that they are very unmemorable in comparison. Hell even the refights of the bosses from the first game are less memorable since they're part of a clusterfuck part of the game and because of how angels are designed it's hard at first to tell that they even are the first games bosses.
Not only that but There are two fights in this game that you fight repeatedly. The Lumen sage who is so obviously Balder I have no idea why they tried to hide it and make it seem like it's a twist who you fight three times and they are the EXACT. SAME. FIGHT! I mean one or two minor changes but I really never noticed anything huge in difference between them. Then there is the fights with Loptr or as I call him....
Metapod jesus Crossed with the Bald guy from The Dungeons and Dragons movie.
You fight this guy or a version of this guy which is more or less the same fight 4 times! INCLUDING the final boss!! and worse yet both fights; The lumen sage and metapod jesus have the same strategy. Dodge then attack. Seven boss fights in this game are uncomfortably similar.
I'm going to be honest that's not the only thing that's eerily similar. There was a boss in the first game named Golem a neat idea of an orb that controls metal pieces and transforms during the fight. When you beat it bayonetta summons a pair of hands and plays volleyball with it in comical fashion. The boss fight not only happens in the second game but the defeat animation happens in both games the EXACT SAME WAY!! That drove me berserk but even worse they recycle the final boss gets shot into the sun bit where you dodge planets except in 2 it's dodging rocks and moving the boss into an open dragon mouth which is both kind of uncreative and a massive anti climax.
Generally speaking The biggest problem with this game isn't the gameplay or soundtrack or anything it's the rather massive reuse of assets in a game that has been in development for years and the first game came out in japan a little over 5 years ago. Even if not in development for that whole time if you made the game SOMETHING new would have to pop in your head and especially since this game had to be resurrected by nintendo since the first game didn't sell that well. You would think that if you were given a second chance to make a franchise you would go all out not just reuse assets and show why the franchise was on the edge in the first place!
And while I'm ranting what the fuck was up with summoning Jeubelius at the end of the game as one of her summons?! I know she had help from Balder but Jeubelius is dead! When she died did she go to super heaven or just Detroit?
Sorry I know that last one was very nitpicky but I was on a roll.
I will say what it gets right is the more important parts of a hack and slash. The Gameplay which again I don't see as the grand beat all of beat em ups but is certainly good and enjoyable,and the soundtrack which breaks even with the original version having maybe a less impressive and generic boss fight music but the basic fight music got a massive upgrade from the meh original track to the AWESOME "Tomorrow is mine". Graphics have gotten a boost and a pretty good one too this game looks very nice.
(Cough) Very nice looking
I will say I do enjoy the new character designs for Bayonetta and Jeanne. Less traffic cone and princess leia more school teacher and....uh normal woman. Like I stated earlier both 1 and 2 were released in the same package and again the price can't be beat even with the negatives I mentioned....makes me wonder if that's why they put the first game in with it actually. The addition of demonic enemies is mostly for show but it is both a neat change of scenery and enemy variety even if slight.
I will say this. Even though I have mentioned and even raged on some of the issues I still do kinda want to replay it. While I don't think I'd ever buy this over Metal gear rising or Devil may cry 3 I do like this game even with it's faults because it is so Batsqueak insane and like I said the gameplay and presentation has nothing at all wrong with it. Now I will say if you do have the first game for ps3 or 360 and you have a wii U and are thinking about it; Wait until the price drops or a just Bayo 2 version is released for less. If you haven't played the first game then I would recommend it because for the price of one full price game you get 2 pretty good games. Like I said I'm not sure fully how to feel about this game. Some things enrage me and yet I want to keep playing. It's a weird Bit of business.
What you're waiting for me to mention either the Wii U exclusive controversy or the overly sexual stuff? Short answer Don't care and Don't care. The Exclusivity thing is because nintendo funded it so that's fine and The sexuality...well They never hide the fact so you know if it'll effect your opinion. Neither one effected me so....yeah I personally don't care but if you buy this expecting child friendly business, Learn to do your research first and foremost and Look at the M in the corner.
Now while the gameplay is one of the better aspects being basically the same as the first game with a few minor changes as well as some powers available from the start one problem I have is the bosses. The bosses in the first game hunt your ass down for a few chapters before you ever fight them which is something I like in this game they really don't and because of that they are very unmemorable in comparison. Hell even the refights of the bosses from the first game are less memorable since they're part of a clusterfuck part of the game and because of how angels are designed it's hard at first to tell that they even are the first games bosses.
Not only that but There are two fights in this game that you fight repeatedly. The Lumen sage who is so obviously Balder I have no idea why they tried to hide it and make it seem like it's a twist who you fight three times and they are the EXACT. SAME. FIGHT! I mean one or two minor changes but I really never noticed anything huge in difference between them. Then there is the fights with Loptr or as I call him....
You fight this guy or a version of this guy which is more or less the same fight 4 times! INCLUDING the final boss!! and worse yet both fights; The lumen sage and metapod jesus have the same strategy. Dodge then attack. Seven boss fights in this game are uncomfortably similar.
I'm going to be honest that's not the only thing that's eerily similar. There was a boss in the first game named Golem a neat idea of an orb that controls metal pieces and transforms during the fight. When you beat it bayonetta summons a pair of hands and plays volleyball with it in comical fashion. The boss fight not only happens in the second game but the defeat animation happens in both games the EXACT SAME WAY!! That drove me berserk but even worse they recycle the final boss gets shot into the sun bit where you dodge planets except in 2 it's dodging rocks and moving the boss into an open dragon mouth which is both kind of uncreative and a massive anti climax.
Generally speaking The biggest problem with this game isn't the gameplay or soundtrack or anything it's the rather massive reuse of assets in a game that has been in development for years and the first game came out in japan a little over 5 years ago. Even if not in development for that whole time if you made the game SOMETHING new would have to pop in your head and especially since this game had to be resurrected by nintendo since the first game didn't sell that well. You would think that if you were given a second chance to make a franchise you would go all out not just reuse assets and show why the franchise was on the edge in the first place!
And while I'm ranting what the fuck was up with summoning Jeubelius at the end of the game as one of her summons?! I know she had help from Balder but Jeubelius is dead! When she died did she go to super heaven or just Detroit?
Sorry I know that last one was very nitpicky but I was on a roll.
I will say what it gets right is the more important parts of a hack and slash. The Gameplay which again I don't see as the grand beat all of beat em ups but is certainly good and enjoyable,and the soundtrack which breaks even with the original version having maybe a less impressive and generic boss fight music but the basic fight music got a massive upgrade from the meh original track to the AWESOME "Tomorrow is mine". Graphics have gotten a boost and a pretty good one too this game looks very nice.
I will say I do enjoy the new character designs for Bayonetta and Jeanne. Less traffic cone and princess leia more school teacher and....uh normal woman. Like I stated earlier both 1 and 2 were released in the same package and again the price can't be beat even with the negatives I mentioned....makes me wonder if that's why they put the first game in with it actually. The addition of demonic enemies is mostly for show but it is both a neat change of scenery and enemy variety even if slight.
I will say this. Even though I have mentioned and even raged on some of the issues I still do kinda want to replay it. While I don't think I'd ever buy this over Metal gear rising or Devil may cry 3 I do like this game even with it's faults because it is so Batsqueak insane and like I said the gameplay and presentation has nothing at all wrong with it. Now I will say if you do have the first game for ps3 or 360 and you have a wii U and are thinking about it; Wait until the price drops or a just Bayo 2 version is released for less. If you haven't played the first game then I would recommend it because for the price of one full price game you get 2 pretty good games. Like I said I'm not sure fully how to feel about this game. Some things enrage me and yet I want to keep playing. It's a weird Bit of business.
What you're waiting for me to mention either the Wii U exclusive controversy or the overly sexual stuff? Short answer Don't care and Don't care. The Exclusivity thing is because nintendo funded it so that's fine and The sexuality...well They never hide the fact so you know if it'll effect your opinion. Neither one effected me so....yeah I personally don't care but if you buy this expecting child friendly business, Learn to do your research first and foremost and Look at the M in the corner.
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